Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-09
Music for the People.


There have been various attempts in |
this country to educate the musical sense |
of the people, but as yet there has been
no plan or movement which is thorough |
going, or which is proposed to reach all |
classes in every community In the rural !
district there is still the singing school, re-
inforced in some.villages by brass baHd. !
In some of the larger towns and Cities
the study of singing has been introduced
into certain grades of the public schools
and in n few of the largest cities, attempts
are being made to interest the poorer
classes IN music of high order by giving
free concerts, to which the poor alone are
admitted. This has been done, for ex-
ample, in New York, where Thomas and
his orchestra during the past one
or two seasons have played to audi
ences probably never before gath
cred at a performance of high order.
In many of the cities, as in our own, there
are band concerts in the open air during
the summer season, by means of which
| airs from the operas are effectively taught
| to whole community at once. A word
| should be said also for the church choir
which often in its ambition does not hest
| tate to attack productions of the greatest
difficulty, and is able on many occasions
to adapt secular music so that it seems to
meet the spiritual longings of at least Il
portion of the congregation.
In the large cities in addition to these
numerous free opportunities there is
| growing up the practice among amuse
ment managers of Offering during the
summer season, opera ut very low prices.
| Through all these methods. it is undouOt-
edly true that the people as whole are
becoming more familiar with the better
class of music.
But as has been said there is nothing
uniform in these attempts the lack of
musical education is felt, and the public
in one way or another is struggling along
toward solution of the problem. In
England, where there exists a centralized
authority, extending to every remote dis
trict of the country, a more uniform and
effective method is followed For years
singing has been one of the branches in
the curriculum of the elementary schools
of that kingdom but unit lately
the educational authorities have been
satisfied with singing by ear. With
in the past few years, however, there has
been a change. and singing by note has
been quite widely introduced. Four years
ago only sixteen per cent of the schools in
England and Wales sung by note now
under the stimulus of an additional grant,
fully forty per cent follow this method
For the first time it is possible to say that
more than one half of the children of
England and Wales sing by note
These statistics, be it noticed, included
not only the children Of the city schools,
but also those OF the country. 1t is in tins
respect that England is making Il distinct
gain upon ihe United States, in the mat
ter of musical education.
We have 10 recent statistics At hand
for the United States; but in 1SS5, Hon
John Eaton. the commissioner OF educJ-
ticn, stated that of 80 cities, with an en-
! rollnen5 OF 1OS,0J0 pupils about "a hun
! dred reported no instruction in music
whatever. In the country districts of our
own country, even such favorable sta
tistics as those Just quoted, could not
be given. If singing by note in the cOun-
| try school be taught at all, it is only be
cause of the ambition of some individual
/ teacher. 1t seems as if it might be posi-
I bic to introduce this study into the dis
trict school by appointing some competent
teacher to visit the different districts of Il
town in turn. No one has lived in the
! country on farm without remarking the
general love of music which prevails in
such a community. The school boy S
jewsharp, the accordion, harmonica, or
the fiendish cornet and the reed organ
! are but illustrations of this universal feel
ing.
In the larger towns, the knowledge of
good music would be greatly extended if
there could be established libraries of
musical literature. This could be done
either in connection with the school library.
I 1t could be done at no great expense,
and thus many who cannot afford nov to
purchase musical works, would even if
! they did not become masters of such
pices, at least gain an acquaintance with
them which would greatly elevate the
public taste We commend this sugges-
ton to the trustees of the Fletcher Free
: library